The end of May each year welcomes stunning cruise shows, a chance to present intermediate collections in inspiring artistic settings between fashion weeks. Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior took their creations on the road to Rio and London.

Louis Vuitton brought the art of French fashion to Rio de Janeiro, the vibrant heart of Brazil. The venue was the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum, a spectacular building designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer. Nicolas Ghesquière’s Cruise Collection captures the vitality, multi-culturalism and urban futurism of the Brazilian city.

The duality between dynamic urbanism and tropical nature was transcribed in slashed stripes on trousers and luxuriously embroidered skirts, nonchalantly wrapped around the waist. Light dresses and parkas paid homage to the work of Brazilian artist Helio Oiticica, while colors and prints evoked the paintings of Aldemir Martins in an inspiring tribute to Brazilian culture.

The sumptuous setting of Blenheim Palace in the Oxfordshire English countryside provided the backdrop as Dior presented a 2017 Cruise collection with resolutely ethnic echoes. Lucie Meier and Serge Ruffieux, who head the Dior design studio, drew inspiration from around the world. Rustic tweeds, crisp poplin and country florals referenced a wardrobe from across the Channel, while silks from Asia were joined by African prints.

The spirit of adventure and discovery that informs the collection is an invitation to a journey both geographic and stylistic. The iconic Bar jacket is revisited, shortened at the hips or given generous volume with a play of puffed sleeves.